Ice on the railhead is usually not a problem, unless perhaps if it is on an industrial track, it is very thick, and an empty car is being shoved; a locomotive will usually not be affected in that scenario.
However, ice formed in the flangeways, especially at grade crossings, is a problem. On lightly-used tracks crossing a busy road, each vehicle packs the snow more, and ice buildup is a real concern.
During winter, Metra has one train for each subdivision turned such that it leads locomotive-first in to the city. This is done so that the relatively lightweight cabcars are not leading over the crossings for the first trip in the morning. The first train from McHenry and the first train between Kenosha and Waukegan are turned. There are no trains on the McHenry sub after the last outbound the night before, and on the Kenosha sub there is only the occasional coal train or wayfreight.
Hi, I don't recall seeing anything about how railroads deal with ice on rails, or if that is even a problem. How do they handle it?
Thanks, WIRailfan
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